


The Way Home

by orochiis



Series: Invisible Ties [11]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Post Game, Post Revelations, and everyone else too - Freeform, sorry for so many tags!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-17 01:46:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9298787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orochiis/pseuds/orochiis
Summary: Lucina leads a full life in Nohr, but she wants to go home.





	1. Nohr

This is the tale of a princess, taking it upon herself to push herself down, down, out of the royal hierarchy of her kingdom until she was associated with the royal family of a kingdom far from her home.

This is the tale of a market girl, seasoned in growing her own fruit and vegetables and no beginner in the art of the barter, married to the future king's right hand man.

This is the tale of a young woman, far from home, who misses her family more than she'd care to admit.

The blue hair is a giveaway for any foreigner from her home kingdom. The gene runs in her family, but she can't bring herself to dye it, unlike her husband did. His hair changed from his natural brown to a silver colour on a whim, along with their friends, who took drastic measures to conceal their identity. They took up jobs in the army, but tired of a lifetime of fighting, she settles in a small apartment above the market place, and sets up shop each morning, selling fresh vegetables and fruit that she spends her afternoons cultivating. In the evenings she cooks dinner, and prays that 'Laslow' will come to see her.

He works for the crown prince, a mercenary by trade. He keeps Prince Xander safe at all hours of the day, yet is renowned for shirking his work and flirting. He hides his wedding ring she bestowed to him in the pouch he keeps by his side at all times. It adds to his character, he explains to her, that he has taken up while living in the kingdom of darkness. She reminds him that he was like that before anyway. His flirtations don't mean anything, though, and she knows that. He will always return to her.

One morning, while she ties her apron around her waist, piling her hair on top of her head, she hears a familiar thud behind her, and spins around to see her beloved leaning against her stall, his partner, Peri, standing beside him.

"Good morning, Luci," he smiles, the whiteness of his teeth still dazzling her.

"Good morning to you too, Laslow," she returns, "what can I do for you?"

"Xander wants apples, so here I am. This is the best stall for food in the marketplace, right?"

"He says that to every pretty girl behind the stall," Peri fills in, and Lucina rolls her eyes.

"I'm sure he does," she laughs, and lifts a paper bag from behind her, filling it with apples. "Free of charge," she declares, passing the bag to Laslow. "Give my best to the prince," she says, bowing ever so slightly.

"Goodbye, my flower," he says, winking at her as he leaves, followed closely by Peri's grumbling and threatens to kill him. He turns back to the stall and nods at her, and she smiles in return, getting the message meant only for him.

They always create a buzz in the market place- not only is he remembered for his flirtatious ways and she for her threats of violence, but their liege was a Big Deal, and that made them a Big Deal too. She sighs as he walks away, knowing that if he keeps his unsaid promise and does come home that night, it won't be for long. Another customer comes up to her, this time an old woman who frequents her stall, and she serves her, her mind of her mercenary.

He's waiting for her when she gets back from tending the carrots in her field, sitting by the window. She leaves her haul on the counter, and moves over to kiss him, not bothering to say anything. When he pulls away- it's often him, this weather- he's smiling, as usual. She sighs, with a smile, and goes to the kitchen to make a start on dinner. He joins her, and she's glad, since he's an infinitely better cook than she is. Although his definition of helping is very different than hers, since he wraps his arms around her hips and peppers kisses down her neck. Eventually, she gives up on the meal and lets him have her, since it's been so long since they've had a lot of time to themselves.

"Our country is at war," he mentions casually, as he dresses himself again.

"I know."

"That means that I have to fight."

"I _know_."

"You should enlist to keep me safe."

"I'm done fighting, Inigo." He flinches at the use of his real name, sitting back on the bed beside her.

"I know, I know. But you're so talented. You were better than the three of us put together," he laughs, and she smiles, knowing that it was probably true. But now she was unfit and out of practice- they wouldn't take her even if she wanted to join.

"You better not die," she says suddenly. "I need you alive."

"Let's go home when the war's done."

"Okay."

She smiles, and then he's gone. She finishes dinner and pretends like nothing else happened.

* * *

He is pestered by Niles and Arthur when he gets back.

"Where did you go?" They ask. "What were you doing?"

"I was visiting a lady friend of mine," he says with a wink, slipping past them.

"We all know what that means," Niles answers, a smirk on his face that won't be wiped off, no matter what Laslow says.

"Surely a man of your age and physique should settle down with a wife and have a family," Arthur suggests, concern over his friend's wellbeing clear on his face.

"Wouldn't you like to know what I get up to?" Laslow jokes, but Arthur hit closer to home than he would ever imagine.

"He means he's never going to marry or have children, because he likes his freedom."

"What's the name of this 'lady friend' you were visiting?" Arthur asks, genuine curiosity taking over.

"Don't we all have places to be?" Laslow tries to excuse, making a move to go to his watch point outside Xander's office.

"Not without you divulging information. Who were you with?" Niles pesters.

"Th-that's none of your business!"

"Ooh, was it Luci? The market girl?" Peri asks, flouncing along the corridor to meet up with the three men.

"A market girl?" Niles scoffs. "Laslow, I thought you had higher standards than a market girl."

"Oh, but she's _real_ pretty. And she's totally in to Laslow too!"

"I never thought I'd see the day," Arthur says, dabbing at tears forming in his eyes.

"Please, it's nothing."

"I bet she wouldn't like it if you said that!" Peri laughs.

"I-"

"Do you go to see her often? Did you-"

"That's enough!" Laslow calls, throwing his arms in the air and marching past her.

"He did," Niles informs as soon as he's out of earshot, causing Peri to burst into raucous laughter.

* * *

Suddenly, without anyone realising, everyone in the army is getting married. Two of the Hoshidans, Hana and Subaki, are first, followed by Oboro and Hinata. Odin and Selena publically renew their vows, masked as a wedding to their peers. Lucina attends, sitting near the back, a smile on her face as her best friends declare their love once again. Laslow is asked over and over again when will he marry, but he doesn't answer.

"That market girl is married, you know. You're a home wrecker, Laslow!" Peri declares one day, and he merely laughs, shaking his head. They're in the market once again, and Peri gets distracted by a stand of sweets, so he makes his way over to his favourite fresh produce stall. She's just finishing serving another customer when he comes over, and she wipes her hands on her apron.

"How can I- oh." Her face falls as soon as she sees him, causing him to panic. Has he done something wrong? Have his flirtations finally got the better of him? Has she fallen out of love with him? She calls over to the girl on the stall next to her- "Maria, can you mind my stall for a few minutes?" With a nod and a 'sure' from the slightly plump girl, she motions with her head to the building looming behind her, and he walks around the side of her stall. He takes her hand, and is surprised when she doesn't shake him off.

"Is something the matter?" He asks, his voice soft. As soon as they reach the back of the building she turns to face him, her voice serious and her face to match.

"I'm pregnant," she says simply.

He flies towards her, wrapping his arms tight around her and pressing endless kisses to her cheeks. He whispers of his love for her, over and over again, and when he pulls away, he's crying, shining tears running down his cheeks. Lucina smiles, and she returns to her stall, a smile plastered on her face the rest of the day. Maria asks her why the prince's guard was crying, and she answers with a smile and a nod, words not forming in her mouth.

* * *

Midori is born in the middle of May, and after that the babies seem to come in from the army at an almost alarming rate. But since many children's parents are both in the army, Xander insists that they're sent to the deeprealms, where they're safe. Lucina insists that she's keeping her baby, but upon Laslow's recommendation, she decides perhaps the deeprealms are the best place for her child. The war is taking over the country- more and more people are losing their lives at Garon's army's hands. This baby's life is precious, and she won't risk its life for anything.

She continues work as normal, although gardening is becoming a problem as her stomach swells. She drafts a poster for the notice board, asking for more help, for someone to hold the stall down while she takes some time off after delivering. Laslow still visits her, as often as possible, and sometimes he can stay overnight. They somehow manage to retain a semblance of what their relationship was like back in Rosanne. Each day he tells her of how the war is progressing- yesterday, the troops sent to Notre Sagesse didn't return to the palace, and Xander suspects they were snapped up by Corrin's rapidly growing army.

"When will one of the many girls you take out for tea make an honest man of you, Laslow?" Xander asks one day, when Laslow stands by the fire.

"I only take them out for tea, milord," he smiles, eyes sparkling. "Little does everyone know, but there is one girl in particular that holds a special place in my heart."

"In the army?"

"No, no."

"Is it the market girl Peri tells me about? I heard she's married, Laslow. I wouldn't be pledging your life to this 'Luci'."

"My mother is the only girl that matters to me, my liege. I have no interests in pursuing married women."

"Keep an eye on that womanising, though. It's not becoming of someone so close to the royal family to have a reputation of being Nohr's biggest flirt."

"I'll make sure of that, sir."

* * *

Selena is far away with Corrin's army, having pledged herself to Camilla who would do anything for the dragon princess. She writes letters to Odin and Laslow and Lucina, and they find out much about her life. Corrin has married- a cavalier named Silas who was her childhood best friend. Lucina smiles at the notion of this- it sounds so similar to her own story. Then, another letter- Selena has had a baby- Ophelia- a beautiful girl with fiery red hair. She too has been sent to the deeprealms to keep the baby safe. Selena seems worried about Ophelia's wellbeing, but doesn't say anything directly, at least not to Lucina.

It won't be long now until her own baby is born, but Lucina insists on working as long as she can. The young girl she hired to help her does just that- and suddenly their sales boost. Lucina suspects the girl is popular after work hours as well. One afternoon, just as she's packing up her stock, a man asks her about her eye. Lucina doesn't know how to answer, and mumbles something about a birth defect, and being blind in one eye. The Brand doesn't inhibit her vision in any way, but it sounds believable to the man, who quickly disappears.

It only occurs to her after the new girl joins, but she suspects that many people in the market, including the delightful Maria from the next stall along, work in the underworld at night. It's not something that she ever had reason to think about before, but she knew how big Windmire was, and she knew that most of the population didn't come near the market. Many people in the market were seedy anyway, and she wouldn't put it past most of the sweet sellers to sell other things when the sun set. On more than one occasion, she too was asked to travel under the city, where apparently there was a whole other city- bigger, busier. Her hair would sell well, she was told, and her eye was a draw. But she always moved her hair away with her left hand, drawing attention to the gold band on her ring finger. She didn't need the extra money anyway.

Two days after she quits work, a cry rattles out over the market, causing everyone to fall silent for a second. It doesn't repeat, so everyone moves on with their lives, apart from Maria, who glances up at one of the apartments that looks over the city. She gets her assistant to watch the stall, and she carefully makes her way up the rickety wooden stairs to knock on the door of the apartment. After a moment, the door opens, and Lucina appears, her hair messy and her face tired.

"Is everything okay, Luci?"

"The baby's coming," she says, and as she does, she bites her fist, breathing heavily.

"Okay, Luci. Let's get you help."

Maria leads Lucina to her bed, getting her to lie down in just the right position. She heats water over the fire and gets clean cloths from the cupboard. Everything happens quickly after that- she checks to see how far along Lucina is and almost immediately tells her to push. Within minutes the baby is there, and Maria wraps her up and hands her to her mother, who can only look on with tired eyes. It's a little past midday Lucina realises when she glances at the clock, and she makes a mental note of it.

"Pink hair!" Maria exclaims, sitting on a seat she's brought back to the bedside. "Where's your husband? I've never seen anyone here with you."

"He's fighting in the war," she answers, and before Maria can get any ideas, she adds: "I haven't seen him in a long time."

"In about nine months?" Maria asks, and Lucina can only help but laugh.

"Do you want me to fetch anyone for you? A doctor, family member, friend...?"

"Could you go to the palace and tell Odin? He's a retainer to Prince Leo," Lucina asks, and Maria raises her eyebrows.

"Can you really see me marching up to the castle walls and asking for a retainer to a prince?" She laughs heartily, before her voice lowers considerably. "Is he..."

"My cousin," Lucina admits. This small detail won't tie them to Ylisse, and she really doubted Owain would mind her implicating them.

"Fine, fine. If aside from your husband, he's the only family you have, I'll do you a favour."

"Thank you, Maria."

She holds the baby close to her chest as Maria leaves, staring into the baby's eyes. She brushes the little amount of hair away, and notices, in her right eye, a very faint brand of the exalt.

* * *

"I'm here to request a week off," Laslow announces, and Xander looks up from his scribbling, raising an eyebrow.

"Laslow, we are at war. Is there a good reason for this, or do you just want a rest? Because if it's the latter, I can't allow it."

"My wife had a baby," he says quietly.

"Your what?"

"My wife had a baby," Laslow repeats, a little louder.

"You said you weren't married. This sounds like an excuse to me." Xander narrows his eyes at the mercenary. Laslow rummages in the pouch attached to his belt, and lifts out his wedding ring, holding it up to the light.

"We married back in my home country, and she came with me to Nohr. She... she works in the market."

"Luci?"

"I pretend just to flirt with her to cover up our actual relationship. We've been married for... it must be nearly five years, if not more."

"Fine. But bring her in tomorrow. I'd like to meet those close to the people who work for me."

"Thank you, milord."

He leaves the room, slipping the ring back onto his ring finger.

* * *

Odin knocks on the door of Lucina's apartment, and when she opens the door, her cousin flounces on her, almost knocking off her feet. Laslow follows close behind him, a bag in hand. He moves to the other side of Lucina, looking over her shoulder into the bundle in her arms. His eyes fill with tears, and he drops his bag, taking the baby out of her arms.

"Have you named her?" He asks.

"I thought you would probably want to."

"Mother always mentioned wanting to name a child after the sun. So..."

"You have an idea?"

"Soleil."

"Perfect."

"Xander wants to meet you."

"The prince?"

"You're used to meeting royals," he points out.

"That's true," she sighs.

Lucina passes Soleil to Odin, who croons at his new baby niece while Lucina dresses herself respectably to go to the palace. She hears the story from Laslow about how their marriage wasn't believable enough, despite the fact that they had been together longer than Lucina cared to think about, for that involved thinking about the timeline she abandoned. Once she was dressed, she took Laslow's bag and tucked it away in her bedroom.

* * *

"Who's this, who's this? Luci's come to visit!" Peri exclaims. "And she's got a baby." Her face falls. "Xander's going to _kill_ you, Laslow! If I don't do it first, that is. He'll be so disappointed."

She shakes her head, and Odin takes her aside to explain to her what happened. Laslow offers Lucina his arm, and she takes it as he leads her through to Xander's office. She marvels at the corridors- it's a lot more impressive than the palace at Ylisstol, she can safely say. Paintings cover every wall, in gold gilt frames. Laslow knocks on the mahogany door, and a deep voice from the other side says 'come in'. He opens the door, and Lucina follows him inside, noting the blond man's raised eyebrow at her and the baby in her arms.

"Milord, you wanted to meet Luci, so here she is." She takes a step forwards, balancing Soleil in her left arm.

"Xander," he introduces himself, standing up and holding her hand out to her.

"Lucina," she offers. "It's good to meet you, your majesty."

"Explain to me, Lucina, since your husband is so secretive. Why did you pretend that you weren't married?"

"We had to leave our previous lives behind, changing everything. It was easier for us to get on with our lives if we pretended to have no connection. On the same topic, Odin is my cousin, too. His mother and my father were siblings."

"And what, pray tell, did you do in your home country?" Xander asks, leaning against his desk. He clearly doesn't buy her story, even though she's telling the truth.

"We ran a fruit and vegetables stall in the market in town, just like I do know. We lived on a farm."

"You're telling me that Laslow here got his skills with the sword from chopping vegetables all day? I find that highly unlikely."

"... before that we were in the army," Lucina admits with a sigh. "Both of us."

"You too?"

"She was one of the best. That's what happens when you're the daughter of the-" Lucina shoots him a look, and the silver haired man stops mid sentence. "General," he finishes.

"Why don't you join up with us?" Xander offers. "We could always use more fighters."

"I just had a baby," she points out. "I'm in no physical position to pick up a sword again."

"Very well, Lucina. It was nice to meet you today. Your little girl is beautiful, and I'm sure she'll grow up to be just like you."

"Thank you, your majesty."

* * *

Soleil is sent to the deeprealms when she is two weeks old, and Lucina quickly realises she is alone again. Laslow leaves her to go back to the palace, and she decides she may as well go back to work. She starts taking care of her crops before going back to the stall, stretching her limbs and getting back to health. The other stall owners are glad to see her back, as many came to visit her and her family when she was on maternity leave.

Laslow visits her late one night, when she was already asleep. She recognises his knock on the door, and flies to it without a second thought. He's wearing his uniform; one not dissimilar to that Selena wore. This immediately sets panic into Lucina's mind. Why is he on her doorstep in the small hours of the morning? He walks in and leans against the kitchen table, a look of concern on his face.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"We're leaving. The skies are going to change, and Corrin wants us to meet up with her when they do. She won't say why and Xander is hesitant to go, but we're going to meet her at the bottomless canyon to see what all the fuss is about."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know," he admits.

"You better not die. I need you alive. Soleil needs you alive!"

"I won't. I promise."

He puts a hand up to her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. Tears roll down her face, and he wipes them away. She hastily brings her hands up to her eyes, rubbing them until her tears disappear. He leans in to kiss her, and she accepts him, pulling him closer, closer, until she physically can't anymore. She can taste the salt from his tears now too, and he pulls away to wipe his tears, laughing slightly.

"Laslow."

"I have to leave."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Come home safe."

"I will."

He disappears into the night, leaving Lucina to cry herself to sleep.

* * *

She continues with life as normal, although she gets many questions in the market about where her baby was. She says she sent Soleil off to live with relatives to keep her safe from the war, which isn't entirely a lie. The deeprealms will keep her safe, and fortunately, people sympathise with her situation. Another market girl, loathe as she is to describe herself as that, had a child and sent it to live in Izumo, where the war only briefly passed through. Maria often comes round for tea, and they talk about how the war has ruined Nohr.

One day, when Lucina had already packed up her stall and sunset was already dragging in, Garon and his men paid a visit to the market themselves. It was the only legal shopping facility in Windmire, and therefore was often visited by those who didn't know about the illegal underground city. Garon himself never appeared, though, and as soon as he did, an unnatural hush fell over the market. He didn't say anything, yet slammed the Bölverk down into the stone slabs that made up the ground, its power causing the entire marketplace to crack.

When Lucina and her assistant get back from the farm, they swing by the market stall as usual. However, this time, there's a deadly silence. Much of the ground has been destroyed. Stalls have been toppled and stock lies all over the place. A building on the far side has collapsed and there are dead bodies lying out in the middle of the square. Instinctively, without even asking each other, Lucina and the girl split up, checking pulses of people who are lying, some trapped under their stalls, some out in the open. Lucina finds Maria unconscious, and when she lifts her wrist, she can feel no pulse under the woman's skin. She takes a step back and says a silent prayer.

* * *

The girl on Lucina's stall helps her bring her business into the underworld, a vast cavern that stretches under the city. She makes her money here, selling her fruit and vegetables, and although she meets more unsavoury people, she finds it easier to make money, so she stays, returning to her apartment at night when it was safe to leave. The royal guard were friendly enough with her after finding out she was Laslow's wife, and usually let her pass without question.

The main benefit of working in the underbelly of the city was hearing all the news. Gossip spread like wildfire, and that worked well for Lucina when the call came out that the soldiers were returning home today. She dropped the potatoes she was cleaning for an old man and apologised profusely before whipping off her apron and running above ground. She had rarely run this fast in her life- only when her life was in danger- but she didn't care. He was coming home, _finally_.

A large crowd had gathered along the street going up to the castle, and Lucina pushed through the crowd to the front. Corrin is up front, her eyes tired and her body barely upright, riding on the back of Silas's horse. Azura rides on Marzia, while Camilla walks, head tall and a smile on her face. Ryoma is behind her, and Hinoka and her Pegasus knights fly above. Lucina's eyes spot Xander, and Peri is on her horse close behind him. She can see Selena and Odin, with a red headed mage between them, chattering away to Odin. But there's no Laslow. Lucina's hands fly to her mouth, and she takes a step backwards, right into an old lady.

"Sorry!" she manages, unable to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"No problem," the lady says, waving a hand. "Or is there? Did he not come home?" Lucina shakes her head- she hit the nail on the head.

"He should be there." She points behind Peri, before Leo, where there's kind of a gap big enough for him to be.

"Go home, dear. You're distraught. There's no point in you watching waiting for him when you know he's not coming."

"But-"

"Go home," the old lady reiterates, and Lucina nods mutely, wandering off almost in a daze.

It's a long walk today. It would usually only take ten minutes, but today it drags out over half an hour. She wants to go home and sleep, but her feet won't even carry her home. She trudges through the streets, leaving a trail of tears behind her. The market place, when she finally gets to it, is still torn up, although repairs have begun to it by some kind souls who care much more than they should. She slowly walks up the steps to her house and unlocks the door closing it behind her and sinking to the floor as soon as she got inside. She rests her head on her knees and sobs loudly, not caring which of her many neighbours would hear her.

"Surprise," a soft voice came from in front of her, and she looked up, suddenly threatened by the idea of another person in her home. Sitting at her kitchen table was Laslow and someone she didn't recognise. She disregarded the other person entirely, and ran straight across the room to Laslow, wrapping her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. She drew back after five minutes of sobbing and hit him on the arm, a face like thunder.

"I thought you were _dead_ , you son of a bitch! You ditched that homecoming thing to come here, and you bring some girl with you! You..."

"Calm down, mama. He thought it'd be nice to surprise you," the girl spoke up, and Lucina glared at her.

"That was not a nice surprise at- wait. Mama? Who are you?"

"Lucina, remember the way I told you that time flowed differently in the deeprealms?" Laslow started, hoping that Lucina would figure it out on her own. She glanced at the girl, taking in the long pink hair- and the hair band, white with gold sparkles, just like a dancer Lucina remembered from home.

"Soleil?"

"Nice to see you, mama," Soleil offered, and Lucina rushed over to her, embracing her tightly.

"You've grown up to be so beautiful," she says, her hand lingering on the girl's shoulder. "Just like Xander said you would. Oh, I'm so glad to see both of you!"

"Did you see Odin?" Laslow asks.

"Saw, yes, spoke to, no. Was that girl with them-"

"Ophelia!" Soleil fills in, and from the look on her face, Lucina can tell what her daughter thinks of the other girl.

"She's your second cousin, so watch yourself," she warns, mother mode on immediately.

"Mama!" Soleil argues, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

* * *

Soleil sleeps on the sofa, and since it'll only be for a few nights, she doesn't complain. Lucina lies in Laslow's arms, her tears finally stopped and a smile on her face. It's strange to share her bed with him again, and she knows that soon, it'll be permanent, when they move back to Rosanne.

"Are we moving back?" She asks quietly. They had talked about it before, but no solid plans had ever been made.

"As much as I'd like to stay, I think it would be best for us to leave now, before any proper decisions are made, rather than part way through whatever rebuilding process Xander puts in place."

"Is Garon dead?"

"Yes."

"Then we can go. Odin and Selena too, and Ophelia. Inigo, I miss home. As much as I'm embarrassed to admit that, I... I want to go home."

"Then I'll take you back to your kingdom, princess," he said, kissing her forehead.

* * *

"Requesting... to leave, sir."

"What?"

"This is me, resigning."

"You're quitting?"

"Yes. Me and Luci are going home with Soleil. Odin and Selena will be coming too, as far as I'm aware, since we're all from the same place," Laslow explains, wincing as he waits for Xander's response.

"...okay. Request granted."

"What?"

"You can go home. I'm not a slave driver, Laslow," Xander smiles. "You've done so much for me these past five or so years, and I'm greatly appreciative of that. Come back to visit sometime, though. Your tea girls will miss you."

"I thought you'd say no. That you'd need my help rebuilding Nohr."

"I have Peri, and there are so many others that will help too. Charlotte, for example, who I'm sure will bring Benny with her. Nina can step in for Odin, and perhaps we can convince Velouria to take Selena's place."

"It was an honour to work alongside you, King Xander. I wish you all the best, and I'll keep in touch."

"Thank you for all your service, Laslow," Xander says, offering his hand.

"Inigo," he corrects.

"What?"

"That's my real name," he says, stepping forward to shake the king's hand.

"Well, Inigo. May the gods look down on you with grace."

* * *

The hills outside Hoshido are green, and from the top of the hill, Lucina can see the harbour, many tiny boats floating in the ocean. One larger wooden boat stands out, it's sail a stark white against the blue of the sea. Inigo takes her hand, and Severa leans against her shoulder. Owain is already running down the hill, followed by Ophelia, who would do anything to follow in her father's footsteps, and Soleil, who would do anything to follow Ophelia.

"We're nearly there," Inigo reminds softly.

"Almost home."

"It's been a long time," Severa agrees, running a hand nervously along one pigtail.

"Let's go," Lucina says, following Owain down the hill. Tipping her head back and staring at the sky she yells: "To Ylisse!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, old people, are we ready to go?"

Lucina and Inigo split up with Odin and Selena, heading to the north of the continent. There, the snow lies on the ground, and they have to stop in a small village to buy more layers. Soleil complains the whole time about the cold- she never really experienced that in Nohr. While it did get cold, the sheer amount of snow was no match for the freezing temperatures of Regna Ferox. Lucina and Inigo, on the other hand, are used to the cold, having traversed their way through the snow laden country multiple times in their youth.

"Where are we even going?" Soleil complains, dragging her feet through the slush, pulling her cloak tighter around her.

"Home," Inigo says vaguely, and she sighs loudly at his non committal answer.

"The capital," Lucina says, and Soleil nods, her mother's answer slightly more helpful.

"How far do we have to go?" The pink haired girl asks, squinting off into the distance.

"Another ten miles at least. It's just over that next hill," Lucina explains softly, and her daughter nods again, falling into silence at last.

Inigo forges ahead, with his wife and child following behind him. He walks too quickly for them to properly keep up, so they trudge through the snow behind him. Soleil often turns to her mother and whispers about her father, and why he won't talk. Lucina tells her to leave him alone, but she knows the reason. He's nervous. It's not like the usually confident dancer to feel like this, but he hasn't seen his mother and father in over five years, and the prospect of seeing them strikes fear into his heart.

They reach the hill at midday, and to their surprise and gratitude, they find a small cabin. Upon entering, they discover it's a small resting stop, and they order tea and sandwiches to tide them over until they reach the hub of Feroxian life. The fire blazes, melting the snow on the roof and keeping the inhabitants warm. A few other lone travellers are there- a huge man with a long beard, and a quiet girl with red hair, counting money out a leather pouch. Soleil excused herself to use the bathroom, and Lucina glanced at her husband, placing a hand gently on her own.

"How are you managing?"

"Lucina, what if we get there and they're dead?" He asks bluntly, and she gasps, for the thought had never entered her mind. "We haven't kept in contact- in fact; we avoided contact at all costs."

"I think we would've heard if father or mother, or Olivia, had passed away. They're high up people," she comforts, although it's of little effect to either of them.

"And father?"

"They're only a little older than us," she reassures, "they'll be fine."

"What if there was a plague?"

"Inigo, get a hold of yourself!" She exclaims, finally losing her tether. "Excuse me!" She calls out, and both other customers glance in her direction. "Is Kahn Olivia still alive? We've been away from Ferox a long time," she laughs.

"She is alive and well!" The man answers, his voice booming. "Our country does well under her rule."

"And her husband?"

"He's as dreamy as always," the red haired girl sighs. "I'd say he improves with age!"

"See?" Lucina says softly, and Inigo smiles, his mind finally put at ease. Soleil returns, disturbing the quiet moment.

"So, old people, are we ready to go?"

"I'm only eight years older than you, thank you very much," Inigo says, standing up and tossing some coins on the table for the waitress to pick up.

"Let's go, let's go! I want to see Ferox properly!"

The market place of the capital was buzzing with people when they arrived, with hundreds of stalls set up for this, the busiest day of the week. Soleil ran off at the sight of pretty girls hanging around one of the clothes stalls. Lucina and Inigo make their way through the packed market, squeezing through the hordes of people to get to the office of the Kahn. They feel slightly guilty about leaving their daughter behind, but she is an adult now, and is well capable of looking after herself.

"What do you mean, she's not here?" Inigo demands, after Lucina asks the receptionist if they can meet with Olivia.

"Just what I said, sir. She's not here. She went to the school to see her son's play today."

"When will she be back?"

"She took the whole day off, sir. You'd be best trying to catch her again tomorrow morning, but she is in meetings all morning..." the receptionist apologises.

"She'll reschedule for me," he declares.

"Does she know you?" She asks sceptically, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"Oh yes. We've known each other for a quite a while."

"Your name...?"

"Doesn't matter. We'll be back tomorrow," he says quickly, before marching out of the room. Lucina follows closely behind him, sighing quietly at his refusal to leave a message.

"We'll find her, don't worry. We probably will have to wait until tomorrow, though," she comforts, but he shakes her off.

"I wanted to see her today, though," he answers, and she has to laugh.

"You sound just like you did as a child."

"My apologies, dear. I'll try to keep my temper."

"Why don't we wander around for a bit? We can pick up some food, and try to find Soleil while we're at it. Gods only know what trouble she's got up to."

"Okay. There used to be a stall before that sold the best honeycomb..." he drifts off, holding her hand absentmindedly.

They buy the sweets Inigo so wanted at the stall he was so excited to see. The shopkeeper seems almost to recognise him, and he scurries off quickly, Lucina in tow. She drags him into a clothes stall, and holds a garish orange dress with emu print on it up to herself. Inigo grimaces, and sets it down; dragging her out in the same way she brought him in. Suddenly, from the other side of the square, a fight breaks out, with two high pitched female screams, a child crying and a low pitched male voice. Instinctively, Lucina and Inigo run towards the source of the sound, knowing the sound of their child's voice anywhere.

"I was just admiring her hair!" Soleil explains as she comes into Lucina's view. A young child is clinging to his mother's hand- clearly the owner of the hair Soleil was admiring.

"Well, she's my wife, so get your hands off her!"

"I said, I just like the way her hair was done! She's way too old for me!" She says, backing away slowly.

"Soleil!" Inigo calls, pushing through the crowd that had quickly formed.

"Father, I didn't do anything, I swear!" Soleil excuses.

"Lucina?" The woman asks, turning round.

"Olivia!" The princess says in shock.

"Father?" Inigo hisses, edging towards Lon'qu. "What are you doing out here?"

"Is that girl with you? Do you know her?"

"Uh. Yes. We'll explain later."

"Dear," Olivia says, approaching Inigo, the younger version of himself still clutching her hand. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," he answers, concentrating hard not to add the 'mama' he usually would at the end of the sentence. She throws her arms around him, pulling her son tight to her. He laughs, and returns her embrace; finally back in the warmth of his mother's arms.

"Mama?" The younger boy asks, and Olivia kneels down in front of him.

"These people are old friends of ours, and when they come over, you're going to go upstairs and do your homework, okay?" She says, pressing a finger to his nose. He giggles, and when she stands up, the eyes of the square are finally off her, bored, having moved on. "Let's go home then?" She questions, directed towards Lon'qu, who still stands beside Inigo, arms folded. He nods silently, and the younger Inigo takes his hand to walk home.

Their house is still in the centre of the city, only a few hundred metres from the market place. Olivia makes tea, while Lon'qu makes sure Inigo starts his homework. When he returns, he sits in silence, eyeing up Soleil, who hasn't made eye contact with anyone since the square. Olivia comes in with a tray of tea, and Inigo and Lucina take their cups, while Lon'qu continues to stare out Soleil. She takes her tea slowly, still not looking up.

"So," Olivia says, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Care to introduce us?" Inigo and Lucina share a look, and Soleil finally lifts her head.

"This is Soleil," Inigo says, waving a hand at the pink haired girl. "Our... our daughter." Lon'qu splutters into his tea, and Soleil shrinks back in her chair, as far away from the swordsmaster as she can manage.

"We can explain!" Lucina says. And they do, detailing the deep realms and the war in Nohr and everything that happened in their five years away. They sounded almost like ashamed teenagers explaining why they were caught canoodling. But realistically, Inigo was in his mid twenties, and to be married with a child wasn't uncommon. The fact that Soleil was eighteen yes did seem a little strange, but Olivia was in tears by the end of their story.

"It's so wonderful to meet you," she says, holding her arms out to her. Soleil gets up upon her mother's signal, and hesitantly heads over towards her grandmother, who hugs her, placing a hand on her head. "You admired my hair in the market, but you have it too! And Inigo gave you my hair band... You are such a beautiful child."

"You were in Nohr?" Lon'qu asks.

"Yes," Inigo nods. "I was working for the now king as his retainer."

"...I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, dad."

"But you need to keep your girl under control," he warns. "Someone like her doesn't do well in Ferox."

"You hear that Soleil? Why don't you apologise for scaring your grandfather?" Lucina says, trying her best to do the scary mother act.

"Sorry, pops," Soleil laughs, trying to make light of the situation.

"Do you fight?" He asks her.

"What?"

"Do you fight?" He reiterates slowly.

"I can use a sword, yeah," she says casually.

"Let's fight, then."

"All because I touched Olivia's hair?" She asks, narrowing her eyes.

"No. Any relative of mine must be able to fight."

"Alright then! Let's tussle, old man. I'll be able to beat you any day."

"He's the best sword fighter I've ever met," Lucina warns. "Even better than your grandfather on the other side."

"He's like, twice my age."

"I'm thirty three."

"Whatever! Let's go."

Inigo was sure that on that day, he'd see the death of his only daughter. Soleil tied her hair back, and lifted a sword from Lon'qu's storage. He picked up his signature killing blade, and it was at that moment that Lucina too began to doubt Soleil. Lon'qu was, as she already said, the best at sword fighting that she'd ever met, and Soleil... well, only Inigo had ever seen her fighting.

"Are you ready?" Soleil asks, twirling her sword around.

"Whenever you are."

Without another word, Soleil rushes towards Lon'qu, sword carefully balanced in one hand. He shifts to block her, his sword clashing against hers in a loud crash of metal. He parries quickly, throwing her off balance. She lunges again, and again, and again, and he blocks her every time. She's quickly out of breath- the pure strength she has to put into each thrust to match his strength is tiring her out. He pushes her back just with the blade of his sword, and then she falls, finally hitting the ground. He sheaths his sword.

"Good job," he comments, holding his hand out to help her up. Olivia gasps, shocked at Lon'qu's reaction to another woman. Not only did he fight her without a trace of awkwardness, but he helped her up too. Perhaps it was his blood connection to her that made him act so differently, but Olivia was pleased either way.

"You are the best fighter I've ever met," Soleil admits, taking her loss gracefully.

He nods, and turns and heads back inside the house. Soleil hesitates for a second, but follows, him calling after to get his attention. Lucina laughs, leaning against the wall. Both she and Inigo had commented on how those two wouldn't get along, considering their vastly different personalities. But with Lon'qu's test of strength, their bond was solidified, and Soleil now had someone else to rely on for training.

"What are you three doing now?" Olivia asks kindly.

"We're off to Ylisse so I can see my parents," Lucina explains, and the Kahn winces.

"Chrom's not going to take her well, is he? He wasn't particularly happy when you two got together, and now you have a child..."

"I'm going to speak to mother first," Lucina laughs. "She'll take the whole thing a lot better than he will. As for father... well, I'll think about it."

"Are you settling down again?"

"Back to Rosanne for us, right?" Inigo asks, and Lucina nods enthusiastically, excited at the prospect of getting to their tiny cottage on the outskirts of the town. She loved living there, more so than she did living in Ylisse all that time, and a lot more than the lonely life she led in Nohr. "I have no idea what Soleil will do, but I would imagine she'll go elsewhere. Perhaps back to Nohr?"

"I wish you two all the best. Don't forget to write! And please, come and visit us! You have no idea how strange it was not seeing my boy's face for all those years."

"Your real son has grown up well," Inigo laughs. "I'm sure he'll get his good looks soon."

"Oh, shut up," she laughs, swatting his arm. "At least he'll never dye his hair," she adds, raising an eyebrow at Inigo, who blushes.

"I thought it would look cool!"

"You were the type, with your pierced ear and all. Gods forbid my Inigo wants to do something like that. I don't know how I'd feel about that."

"You're a great mother. I suppose I only did all this because I didn't have you."

"Oh, stop!" Olivia smiles. "Please, stay the night. I'll introduce you to Inigo."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Lucina warns, ever the voice of reason. "We were told not to meet with our equivalents in this world if at all possible."

"Oh. Well," Olivia says, slightly dejected. "I suppose you'll be on your way, then?"

"Yes," Inigo says, glancing at Lucina. "It was good to see you again, mother."

"Stay safe, Inigo. We'll meet again soon."

"Thank you for defending me like that in town today," Olivia mentions over dinner, when Lucina, Inigo and Soleil are long gone into the night. She's sad to see them go, she will admit, but trusts in their promise to return one day in the not too distant future.

"Of course I'll do that," he comments, pushing his food around his plate awkwardly.

"Who were those people, mama?" Inigo asks. "why did you bring them back for tea? And why was father fighting one of them?"

"They're relatives," Olivia says, not entirely a lie. "Your dad likes to test the strength of relatives to make sure that they're up to his standard of fighting."

"The older woman looked like Luci!" Inigo says, and both of his parents fall silent.

"Wh-what makes you say that, dear?" Olivia asks sweetly.

"Her hair is pretty like Luci's!" The boy declares, blissfully unaware of how close to the truth he hit. Lon'qu and Olivia share a look, before picking up another topic of conversation to distract from the events of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we move to Ylisse and I clean up all those loose threads from Epilogue c:


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I hope the stars shine as brightly in Ylisse as they do in Nohr."

"Mother," Ophelia asks, skipping along beside the red haired woman. "Where are we going?"

"Ylisse," she answers, blunt as always.

"I hope that the stars shine as brightly in Ylisse as they do in Nohr." There's a pause, while Severa processes what her daughter just said. She's not in the mood today- it's going to be hard, what they're doing, and Ophelia and Owain's loud chattering has been annoying her ever since they left Lucina and Inigo in Ferox.

"They do, dearest Ophelia!" Owain exclaims. "The stars that shine bright over our home city are unmatched by any elsewhere!"

"Pray tell, from whence do you come from?" Ophelia questions, bobbing over her mother's shoulder.

"It's called Ylisstol. It's an old city, the capital of this country," Severa elaborates, trying her best to keep her temper.

"I've heard plenty of the historic city in books!" Ophelia says, excitement fully settling in. "It centres around a huge castle, and the royal family is one of the oldest in the world!"

"Indeed," Severa answers vaguely, crossing her arms across her chest.

"We'll take you to see all the sights, Ophelia. And then at night, the chosen few will watch the stars and gaze at the moon!"

"How charming!"

"Can you two please shut up for five minutes?" Severa snapped. "Gods, you're as annoying as each other. I don't doubt where Ophelia gets it from."

"Apologies, fair lady," Owain offered, before promptly closing his mouth.

They had moved far from the coast now, up into the peaks of the green hills Ylisse was famous for. Severa had spent a lot of time in her childhood here, training with her mother- who in all honesty, she would rather not think about. It wasn't that she didn't love Cordelia- no; her feelings for her mother were never in doubt. It was just that Cordelia didn't seem to care about her own daughter, or even her husband- the two banded together more than often, and once confronted the Pegasus Knight about her obsession with Chrom.

It wasn't even Cordelia that she missed. She had been alone in the past, and had gotten used to her lack of presence. It was in the future that she panicked, when somehow them changing the timeline had killed both of her parents before she even had a chance to meet them. All she had left of her mother was the ring she bestowed upon her before following her true beloved into battle for the last time. So really, Cordelia wasn't a big loss to her. And yes, she felt bad to admit it, but she really only felt resentment towards her mother.

No, she didn't miss Cordelia. But she did miss her father. She had inherited his hair colour, although after a fight they had when she was fifteen she dyed it red, claiming she loved her mother more. He told her he liked her hair like that, and consistently kept up the look since. She had also inherited his appetite, and missed their jaunts to all you can eat buffets, leaving Cordelia behind because she wouldn't be worth the money it cost to get in. Yes, she missed Stahl the most, although she wouldn't say that to anyone else.

Of course, he was the one that taught her to fight. While Cordelia had encouraged her from a young age to become a Pegasus Knight, Severa had picked up a sword instead of a lance, wanting to cut as many comparisons with her mother as she could. Stahl had trained her instead, teaching her how to ride a horse, how to wield a sword, how to use a shield. Of course, when the time came, she forged her own path, becoming a mercenary because she thought it'd be more useful to society. And because she knew how to ride a horse properly, she'd be fine to switch to being a knight if the notion so took her.

During the war in Nohr, Camilla had suggested she became a bow knight. While she had no training in the bow and arrow, Setsuna, a friendly yet clumsy archer, had shown her the ropes, while she had exceeded everyone's expectations in storming across the battlefield on the back of her horse, which she named Regan, as a jab to her mother and a reference to her favourite book. Each night as she brought her horse back to the stable, she remembered Stahl, and on occasion, ended up crying. She was alone out there, while her friends and family stayed in Windmire.

Now, she promised herself that she wouldn't do to Ophelia what Cordelia had done to her. Cordelia's last words to her were empty- that she fought to protect someone she cared for. Severa too fought for someone she cared for- her daughter, her husband, and her liege. Although now she had left Camilla many miles away, and her sword was sworn to those she was travelling with. She had no ulterior motive, no other man she was chasing after even though she knew his heart didn't belong to her. No, her heart fully belonged to Owain, and he knew that.

"Sorry for snapping," she mumbles to him, latching onto his arm as they approach the capital. She rests her head against his shoulder, and he wraps an arm around her.

"No worries, my love. I understand that you're stressed about this whole situation."

"Are you not nervous about seeing your family?"

"Of course. But your situation is more awkward than mine."

He kisses the top of her head, and she turns her head away sharply to hide her blush. He laughs loudly, understanding this gesture that has truly been a part of their relationship for the longest time. His laugh attracts Ophelia's attention, and Severa detaches herself from him before she can turn around and see them. She turns quickly, the young mage, and Severa swears that in that moment, Ophelia's eyes glimmered just like the way Cordelia's used to.

Ylisstol is quiet, strangely, and Severa feels almost like a pariah wandering the streets. It isn't empty, by any standard, but she notices the crumbling buildings on the outskirts of the city. Across the street, one of the buildings is charred, black wooden beams on the edge of collapse. She doesn't point out this to Ophelia, since she and Owain were singing the cities praises mere hours ago. The mage doesn't notice, however, and skips along, ignoring her immediate surroundings in favour of gazing at the castle that's dead ahead of them. The sun is setting directly behind the palace, casting the whole city in its warm orange glow.

"Where are we staying?" Owain asks quietly, and Severa shrugs.

"We can hardly stay at your place, can we?" She says with a laugh, and he shakes his head. "There's the place dad used to live in, near the palace grounds, but I'm sure it was sold on after..." she trails off, glancing at the ground.

"After what?" Ophelia questions, falling into step beside her mother.

"After the war. There was a war here a while back. But I'm sure you've read all about that in your history books."

"Oh, yes! I didn't know that was recent, though."

"Ten or so years ago, the chosen one descended to the earth to take up arms in the war. And that's when your mother and I married too! Two fighters on the battle field, side by side, hearts entwined in love! Ah, my sword hand trembles just thinking about it!" He exclaims, before catching his mistake. Unfortunately for him, Ophelia too noticed his slip of the tongue.

"Sword hand, father?" She says, her voice squeaking.

"I mean..."

"So you're not truly a mage?" She whimpers, her eyes welling up with tears. "You were a swordsmaster this whole time? Like Shiro, and Ryoma?"

"Ophelia I-"

"The chosen heroine has been betrayed," she wails dramatically, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Come, child," Severa says, copying her daughter's dramatic way of speaking. "Let's make haste for my father's home."

She marches ahead, Ophelia tucked under her arm, and Owain trailing behind her.

The house itself is slightly crumbled, and when Severa peers though the window, she can see most of the inside is covered with dust. Still, it shouldn't take them long to get the layer of dust off, should they actually make it inside the house. She knocks, just in case, but it doesn't look as though anyone has been living there, at least not since her father was alive. She knows where he left the spare key- he told her once, back in her own timeline, and she assumed that this timeline's Stahl would put it in the same place. And sure enough, under a small, insignificant rock at the back of the garden is the key, rusted, but still in working condition.

Neither Ophelia nor Owain has spoken a word since his slip, neither to her nor to each other. As she turns the key in the lock she hears Ophelia gasp, and pivots to smile at her, welcoming her daughter into the house she spent so much time in as a child. A lot of details are exactly as she remembers. The phone still sits on a table at the bottom of the stairs, a notepad set beside it. Stahl's coat hangs on the coat peg by the door, and Severa's eyes fill with tears at the sight. It wasn't usual for him to ever wear the coat, since he usually was covered in armour, but it was reserved for formal occasions.

She ventures a little further into the house, heading for the kitchen, where she could hear a noise. Ophelia holds her tome close to her chest, ready to strike at any moment. When Severa enters the kitchen though, she lets out a sigh, at the open window, and the cat curled up on the windowsill. She recognises it as one of the cats her father used to entice to the house to feed, and attempts to call out to it.

"Butterscotch!" She calls, and the cat meows violently before bolting out the window. She follows it with her eyes as it jumps the fence. Sighing yet again, she drops down to the cupboard below the sink, looking into its depths for cleaning products. Upon lifting out a handful of dusters and sponges, she dives back in for bleach and buckets. She thrusts the window open even further, then leans on the table, her face serious.

"We're going to clean this place," she says simply. "I want to stay here for a while. And I won't stay in a place covered in dust. I'll clean upstairs, and you two tackle down here. The kitchen needs all the work surfaces done with antibacterial spray, and the tiles need bleaching. You should mop in the living room too, and make sure you get the furniture looking good. And you!" she says, leaning close to Owain. "Explain to her."

She finishes her lecture on this note, and marches out, a bucket in one hand and three dusters in the other.

Once the bathroom was cleaned until it was sparkling, Severa ventures into her parent's old room, slowly stepping through the dust in the carpet. She opens the window, throwing the fresh breeze into the room. With a wet cloth in one hand, she wipes the initial layer of dust off the mirror, looking at her sad appearance in the reflection. She moves on quickly, taking the blankets from the bed and shaking them out the window to get the dust off them. Grabbing the brush she had abandoned outside, she brushes the carpet until the dirt on it was piled up in one corner.

The wardrobe is another problem. She opens the door to see a clear split- one the left were Stahl's clothes, and on the right were Cordelia's. She can't imagine they lived together for that long, considering that she heard Stahl died in the battle against Gangrel. There are four breastplates on his side, with knitted jumpers and suit trousers and boots along the bottom. On her side there is only one set of armour, with her arm pieces and gloves sitting on a shelf. There's also an evening dress, grey and mildly sparkly. Severa collapses onto the bed, holding the dress in her arms. Tears fall from her eyes, sticking on her eyelashes and dropping onto the dress, staining the satin.

"Father says we're done-" Ophelia says, pausing as soon as she gets to the doorway. Severa leaps up, wiping the tears from her eyes. She turns from Ophelia, hiding her shame from the younger girl. "Mother? I'm sorry."

"No, Ophelia, it's not your fault," she laughs sadly, straightening out the dress.

"I'm sure this place holds a lot of memories for you," she says softly, sitting on the bed. Severa sits beside her, staring at her knees. It is unusual for a mother to be comforted by her daughter- at least, that wasn't her experience. "But mother, I didn't notice any bedrooms fit for a chosen one such as yourself."

"Did your father tell you where we came from?" Severa asks tentatively.

"The celestial future," Ophelia nods.

"Uh, yes. Well... in this timeline, no Severa was born. While in the timeline I came from they both lived for a long time- they'd both be alive today- but in this timeline, they're both dead."

"Stars above!" Ophelia exclaims.

"Judging by the amount of clothes here, I'm not even sure they were married long. This was mother's wedding dress."

"It's beautiful," she breathes, reaching out instinctively to feel it. "It reflects the stars itself. I'm sure my grandmother was breathtaking in this."

"I'd like you to have it," Severa says, placing the dress into her hands.

"I can't possibly take this wondrous gift."

"Who else will wear it after it's been here gathering dust for many years? Sumia I'm sure has no knowledge of this place, never mind what's in it. Otherwise this dress would be with her, either in her wardrobe or in mother's grave."

"If it will honour her, then I accept."

"You'll look beautiful, Ophelia."

"I can't believe I upset her so much," Owain mumbles into a glass of wine.

"To be fair, she did overreact. She's a talented mage on her own- and of course, you didn't follow either of your parent's paths."

"She'll be excited when she meets father, then," he says. She notices that his speech is normal now, his odd way of speaking gone with the alcohol he's consuming.

"I hadn't thought of that," Severa smiles. "And I'm sure she'll love Lissa too."

"Are you taking her tomorrow to..."

"Yes. And... I'd rather you didn't come."

"What?" He almost yells, offended.

"I feel it's something I want to do myself. And if someone in the palace recognises you, it'd take the surprise of all of us turning up together away."

"That's true... and to be fair, I'm not sure I'll be in any state to get up in the morning." He downs the last of his wine, setting his glass on the table. Severa narrowed his eyes at him, and lifted the bottle, only to find it empty. Her glass, just the one, was sitting on the table, still largely untouched. She sighed at him, and he could only laugh sheepishly.

Severa wakes sharply the next morning, sun streaming through a tiny gap in the curtains. Owain is spread out over the whole bed, his mouth wide open and his arm thrown across her stomach. She smiles at him- it's been a long time since he's been so drunk that he's collapsed like this. She gently peels herself off him, placing a kiss on his nose as she escapes to dress herself. For old time's sake, she throws on an outfit very similar to the one she travelled back in time in. She ties her hair up in her usual pigtails, and heads downstairs to the kitchen.

Last night, Ophelia went out on her own into the town, and came back with food and the bottle of wine as an apology for her reaction. So now, Severa could have breakfast. Her stomach is queasy, though, so she has a cup of coffee. Ophelia wanders into the kitchen as Severa waits for the water to boil. She flops down on the kitchen chair, pulling a loaf of bread out of the grocery bag. She cuts slices for herself, and spreads jam on them, eating in silence. Severa makes her coffee, and sits down opposite her daughter.

"Are you almost ready to go?"

"Where are we going?" Ophelia says, taking a bite out of her bread.

"You'll see when we get there."

"Where's father this beautiful morning?"

"Hung-over, I imagine," Severa says, rolling her eyes with a laugh.

"Celestial heavens!"

"He wasn't coming anyway."

"Oh."

They sit in silence for a few minutes before Ophelia finishes her bread, and Severa sips the end of her coffee. They stand silently for a second, before Severa nods towards the door. She grabs her jacket from beside the door, and they leave, Severa leading the way to the castle. As soon as Ophelia realises where they're going, she latches onto her mother's arm in excitement, and Severa can't help but smile at her face lit up so brightly. However, as she takes a sharp left before she reaches the palace into a small alleyway, Ophelia's face drops.

"I thought the chosen heroine was getting to visit the palace," she said, her voice sad.

"Perhaps another day," Severa says, avoiding eye contact.

They walk into the small graveyard adjacent to the castle. Although mostly only royals are buried there, since the graves for fallen soldiers during the war are there, it is open to the public. The graveyard has a rota for who is on duty, and today as they enter, Severa smiles at Sumia, who almost does a double take. The two redheads wander around for a while, glancing at the gravestones until Severa locates the memorial from the war. It takes up the back wall, with individual plaques for those who died. The centrepiece is huge, and Severa stops in the middle. Her parent's names are beside each other, and she has to smile.

"This is my parent's grave," she manages to explain, and Ophelia's eyes widen. "Stahl... and Cordelia." Her finger traces over the name, written in gold on the stone.

"Gods," Ophelia whispers. "This is not what one expects to see. I knew they were dead- father told me a long time ago. But this was not the way I expected to see them. In my head, they are still alive."

"I'd like to think they're still alive, somewhere, in another timeline. And they're happy, and have a baby Severa, and maybe another child."

Ophelia kneels on the ground in front of Cordelia's plaque, reading the words written about the famous Pegasus Knight. She mumbles something that Severa can't hear, before moving onto Stahl's grave and going through the same kind of ritual. Then, she stands, and hums quietly to herself.

"What are you doing?" Severa asks, amused by the girl's actions.

"Celebrating their celestial lives on this earth," she replies simply.

"I hated my mother," Severa laughs, poking the headstone with her foot. "She was too preoccupied with the general- he's the exalt now- to care about me. I liked my father a whole lot more." She smiles fondly at his grave before deciding to tell Ophelia her greatest worry. "I want to be a better mother to you than she was to me."

"You are already the perfect mother to the chosen heroine, mother," Ophelia says, reaching up to wipe the tears from Severa's eyes that she didn't even know were there.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You try walking from the port to Ferox to here, Severa," Lucina sighs, too tired to argue with her.

It takes only a few days for Lucina and her family to arrive in the capital, where Ophelia meets them, leading them to the house they've been staying in. Lucina has procured a cloak, and she pulls the hood down over her eyes to cover her brand. They've been walking almost solidly for a week altogether, and she can feel her feet sore and her legs weary. As soon as Ophelia opens the door to the small house, Lucina hurries the extra few steps inside and collapses onto the sofa, squeezing herself in the small gap between Severa and Owain. The redhead shoots her a look, but Lucina puts her feet up on the footstool, pulling her boots off.

"You alright there?" Severa asks, a hint of annoyance evident in her tone.

"You try walking from the port to Ferox to here, Severa," Lucina sighs, too tired to argue with her. She pushes herself off the seat momentarily to take the cape off, and folds it up, setting it on her knee.

"So, when are we going inside," Severa asks as soon as Owain leaves the room to make coffee for them all. Inigo falls into his abandoned spot, lazily slinging an arm around Lucina's shoulders.

"You make it sound like some sort of spy novel," Lucina giggles. "In a few days. I think we all have to recover from the walk."

"That's fair. You'll have to stay down here though, since we only have to rooms upstairs. I guess Soleil won't mind sharing with Ophelia, though," Severa suggests, and Inigo and Lucina share a worried look.

"They'll be fine," he says, informing Severa and reassuring Lucina.

"And Inigo, you can make dinner. I'm not cooking, and I'm not eating any of Owain's food." She gets up in a huff, and heads to the kitchen following Owain.

Inigo pulls Lucina closer to him, and she yelps at the sudden movement. She rests her head on his shoulder regardless, enjoying the moment of quiet before Soleil barged into the room, a hot cup of tea in her hand. She perched by the fire, and Ophelia followed soon after with a small plate of biscuits. Owain comes in with a tea tray, four china teacups balanced carefully on top. He sets it down, and both Lucina and Inigo dive forward to grab cups. Owain settles on the floor, beside Ophelia, while Severa squishes in beside Lucina. The two families sit in silence for a while, merely enjoying the comfort.

"So, we're heading to the castle the day after tomorrow?" Owain checks, and Lucina nods, swallowing her mouthful of tea.

"Yes. I considered writing ahead, but I think if we turn up as a surprise it'd be nice."

"What're we doing in the castle?" Soleil asks, grabbing another biscuit off the plate. "Guided tour? Are there pretty girls there?"

"None for you to be courting," Inigo says hurriedly.

"Shame," Soleil grins, and both her parents shoot her the same disapproving look.

"Something like a guided tour," Lucina explains, and this seems to satisfy her, since she's quiet after that.

* * *

 

It rains all of the next day, and Soleil, Ophelia and Severa venture out in one of the breaks between the showers. The roof of the house begins to leak, and Lucina puts a bucket under the small hole in the roof in hope of catching the water. She heads back downstairs to a heated game of poker between Inigo and Owain, and she smiles, moving out of their way. She makes another pot of coffee, standing in the kitchen, listening to the watery sounds of the boiling water and the rain pelting against the window pane. Owain and Inigo yell out occasionally, one in victory and one in defeat, but she can drown them out, listening only to the rain.

She now understands how Inigo felt that time in Ferox when he couldn't speak to either her or Soleil for almost a whole day. A sinking feeling has settled in the bottom of her stomach, and she feels slightly sick permanently. She understands that's how nerves work, but another part of her is annoyed. She's only visiting her parents, and she would've heard if anything happened to either of them or their children. It's only now that she thinks of Morgan- she hasn't seen him in years, longer than when she last saw her parents. She makes a mental note to ask them where he is, and make an effort to go see him.

Another thought that annoys her is that they might not want to see her. Chrom and Robin have their own family now, their own children that were born of them in this timeline. They didn't need her, or Morgan, since they had their own Lucina and Morgan born now. Lucina must be nearly nine, she reckons, making Morgan four or so. Chrom and Robin were busy people- what was to say that they had time to see them? She's sure they'd get inside, though. Lissa and Ricken would be there, and she couldn't imagine that both of them would be busy. She sighs, slightly malcontent, ignoring the feelings that set her on edge. She brings the coffee pot into the living room.

* * *

 

Lucina barely sleeps that night. It's difficult enough to sleep on the sofa as is, and Inigo, being the gentleman he is, has taken the floor. She tosses and turns, trying to make herself comfortable on the sofa, with only a thin blanket and a cushion to help her sleep. The thoughts in her head have settled slightly; she decided that it wouldn't matter if she saw her parents or not. She would definitely be able to speak with Lissa, and at least that was someone from her family. Although, upon thinking more, she starts to cry. She misses her parents a lot more than she'd care to admit, and all this pretending she wasn't a royal was really beginning to drain her.

She covers her sobs with her hands, hot tears running down her face. It had been a long time since she'd cried about being in the past, she realises with horror. She stopped crying as much after she admitted to Chrom about his relation to her, and only cried once after that, when her mother sacrificed herself to Grima (which anyone would do in such a situation). She cried almost every day at the start, but had managed to not cry for a long time after that. She realises that, perhaps, it had something to do with Inigo.

He insists on putting a smile on her face, forcing her to smile even when neither of them felt up to it. Inuigo is an expert in the art of 'fake it till you make it', and has taught his skills to his wife and daughter. Inigo turns over in his sleep, and Lucina watched his peaceful face through bleary eyes. She threw her cushion onto the floor beside his head, and took her blanket off the sofa, crawling beside him. She slightly untucked his own blanket covering, wriggling close to him. He opens his eyes slowly, a sleepy smile taking over his face.

"You okay?" He asks, not awake enough to know what's going on.

"Yes," Lucina answers through her teeth. "I'm fine."

It's a lie and she knows it, but hopefully in his arms she'll get some sleep, and the sickly feeling in her stomach will have disappeared by morning.

* * *

 

Thankfully, when she awakes, the sickness is largely gone, and she can sip her way through a cup of coffee until everyone else is ready. Soleil is bouncing about the walls, as usual, and Inigo sits subdued in the corner. Severa joins him with a plate of toast a few moments later. It's not their day today, and they know it, but they'll support their spouses in any way they can. Ophelia arrives with some sort of herbal tea, and perches on the arm of the sofa, whispering to her father, who holds his head in his hands.

"We should go," Lucina says suddenly, standing up. "We won't know anything if we just mope here all day."

She makes for the door, and slowly everyone else follows her, trudging out of the house. Inigo takes her hand and she smiles to him. He always knows when she needs comforting, which is what makes them such a compatible pair. They continue silently through the streets. It's still fairy early, and the only people about are the traders and their earliest of patrons. The sun is in the sky, no trace of the pouring rain from yesterday. Lucina sighs quietly as Owain leads the way up the lane to the castle, taking her place beside him as he hammers on the door.

Inigo and Severa and their children wait behind, a good few feet to give them space. They have to wait a few moments- clearly, the fact that the gates were open this morning was just luck. Finally, the door opens with a creak, and a guard comes to the door, glaring at the two who stand on the doorstep.

"You do realise this is the home of the king, right? You can't just barge on in here," he says, folding his arms defensively. "What business have you got?"

"I want to see Chrom," Lucina says defiantly, stepping forward. She's not sure where this surge of confidence came from, but she's not going to complain. It'll take a lot for her to step down now, especially when she knows this is her rightful place.

"He won't see some commoner."

"I am no commoner," she says, trying her best to keep her hair in front of her eye. As the guard shifts his weight from foot to foot, she can see two children in the background, passing through with their nanny, their hair the same colour as hers. Her heart pangs, and she turns her attention back to the guard, who has been talking the whole time.

"Who are you?" He demands.

"A friend of the king's. I helped him during the war."

"You wouldn't be the first person to say that," he laughs.

"Oh, but it is true!" Owain interrupts, finally helping his cousin out. "We are those from land afar, travelled here to see our old comrades!" His terrible speech pattern isn't helping matters, and Lucina can only sigh and the guard raises his eyebrows.

"I can't let you in," he says finally, and moves to close the door.

"No, wait!" Lucina cries, dashing forward to put her foot in the door. "Please, tell him to come to us. He will know us when he sees us, I promise you." She blinks slowly, sincerely, and although the guard hums in disapproval, he closes the door and tells them to wait in the garden for him to return.

* * *

 

It has been a while since everyone has been free in the morning to eat breakfast together. Robin has been staying up later and later in order to help finish the final financial plan for the rebuilding of the city, despite Chrom's many complaints that she should rest. This morning though, she is awake, and although she is on her third cup of coffee (it is only ten a.m.) she is coping okay. Lucina, Morgan and Owain have been taken to their classes, and Gaius is dropping Brady off at the school in town, where he will meet up with Nah and Noire and Yarne. Chrom is about to leave for an early meeting when the guard walks in, serious yet slightly flustered.

"Pardon for the intrusion during your breakfast hour sir," he says, saluting messily.

"At ease. I was just about to go. What's the matter?"

"A very strange one, sir. A woman outside claiming to be a friend of yours. She wants to see you, but I told her not to come in. There was a man with her too."

"I don't have time to be seeing salespeople who think they know me. This is a castle, not any old house you can just wander up to."

"She insisted I come and get you to see her. I've never met any door to door sale people as persistent, sir."

"I appreciate you coming to me, but I really have to be going," Chrom says finally, setting his glass down and making a move to leave. Robin, however, grabs his sleeve, a curious look on her face.

"Could you give a physical description?" She asks politely, and Chrom sits down, a frown taking over his features. "We've met a lot of people over the years, it could very well be someone we know."

"I'd say they were both late twenties, the man was blonde and had a weird way of speaking-" At that, Lissa sat up straight, and exchanged a look with Ricken, who raised an eyebrow. "The girl had dark blue hair," he recounts, "not a dissimilar shade to your own, your majesty. She wore it over her left eye, which made it difficult to maintain eye contact. They had a couple of other people with them too, but I couldn't get a good look at them."

Chrom and Robin share a look, one that they had shared many, many times before. It was look often seen on the battlefield, when they had the same idea, or when one moved in to protect the other. Robin got to her feet and practically ran past the guard, while Lissa, who clearly was on the same wavelength, followed her with a curious intent. Maribelle walked into the room, her arms folded, just as Chrom himself was about to leave.

"Chrom, the meeting is about to start," she tuts, but he grabs the tops of her arms, his face serious.

"I can't go. Tell them I can't go."

"Well why ever not?" Maribelle asks incredulously.

"She's back." It takes a moment for Maribelle to process this, but then her mouth forms a perfect o and her eyes light up.

"Oh, wonderful! I'll tell them something urgent has come up." She hurries away, a skip in her step, and Chrom rushes after his wife and sister, leaving the guard standing confused in the middle of the room.

* * *

 

Lucina sits on the grass, twirling the blades between her fingers absentmindedly. Owain leans against the wall, while the others sit on a bench, squished together. They watch the door intently, waiting for it to open. Severa has already commented that the guard probably won't have gone to see Chrom, and they could be sitting here all afternoon before anyone comes to them. As the watch the door creaks once again and this time flies open, and out of the palace comes Robin, with Lissa close behind her.

"Inigo!" She says, noticing him before Lucina, who is tucked away behind the bench. Robin dashes towards him, enveloping him in a hug. He notices she's still wearing the same cloak he saw her in before they left, and he smiles.

"Good to see you again, Robin," he smiles, and when he moves out of the way, she can see Lucina behind him. The woman slowly struggles to her feet, unsure of how to broach the subject. Owain has already been found by his mother, and he laughs as she showers him with affection.

"Hello, mother," Lucina whispers, barely audible. The bench still stands between them, and Robin looks on in shock at how much her daughter has grown since she last saw her. At that moment, Chrom appears behind her, staring at Lucina with the same mixture of joy and shock. "Hello, father," she adds, a little louder, a little less scared.

"Lucina," he breathes, and runs towards her, around the bench, wrapping his arms around her in a way she missed so much. Automatically, her eyes fill with tears, and she resents herself for crying in front of him. Robin pushes Chrom out of the way playfully, and holds her daughter at arm's length before pulling her in close to her. Chrom goes to Owain next, offering him a strong handshake, but Owain grabs him with a cry of "Uncle Chrom!" that makes everyone laugh.

Severa stands up, apart from the crowd, her eyes scanning everyone else who seems to already know each other. Chrom has moved on now to Inigo, and is shaking his hand, while Inigo glances back at Soleil in a silent word to tell her to stay quiet. Lissa is hugging Lucina now, while Robin laughs with Owain, all old comrades brought back together. Soleil and Ophelia are comrades themselves, and they talk quietly, observing the goings on of their parents. She's brought back down to earth with a bang when Chrom stands in front of her.

"I know who you must be without even knowing," he says kindly, a fond yet sad smile on his face. "Cordelia's daughter, right?"

"Right," she says quietly.

"You look so much like her," he comments. "Is that the ring she wore?" he asks, glancing at her hand.

"Yes."

"Welcome to the family..."

"Severa," she fills in, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Severa. Your mother would be proud to see that she has a grown up daughter, you know."

"I doubt that. She spent more time pining over you than looking after me, you know."

"Don't say that," he says softly, and his face changes, a mixture of anger and pity. She shuts up then, nodding her head apologetically. Now was not the right time to be picking a fight, but of course, she did it anyway. She turns away.

"Let's go inside," Robin suggests. You can tell us all about where you've been, and who these new friends of yours are." She gestures towards Soleil and Ophelia, who giggle between themselves.

It has been a long time since either Lucina or Owain was 'home', per se. When they think about it, they haven't been inside the castle since they were in the past, when it was all but destroyed by Grima. As they walk through the corridors, they remember, old times when they were happy, more than a decade ago. They seat themselves around the table in the dining room, Owain in between Lissa and Ricken, Ophelia and Soleil on Lissa's other side, Severa beside Soleil and Inigo, and Lucina beside her parents. There's an awkward silence, and Inigo decides he'll be the one to fill it.

"In Nohr, there are these places called the Deeprealms. During the war, the soldiers in the army put their children in there to keep them safe from the horror of the war. And time passes quicker, and they grow older quicker, and..." he trails off, and Chrom raises an eyebrow at Ophelia.

"So what you're trying to say is these are... your children?"

"Yes," Lucina says quickly.

"We're grandparents. At thirty!" Robin laughs, and Lucina can't help but laugh at her faux melodrama.

"This is Soleil," Lucina introduces, mumbling over her name while gesturing at the girl who waves shyly, probably for the only time in her life. "As you can see, she got her hair from her grandmother on the other side."

"You look just like Olivia," Lissa comments, a fond smile on her face. "And, not to brag, but I think this other girl looks like me!"

"You must be the amazing grandmother I have heard so much about, then! Father sings your praises to the stars!" Ophelia bursts out, grabbing Lissa's hand.

"Ophelia takes after her father, I would say," Severa comments dryly, earning her a laugh from Ricken and Robin. Chrom still regards her with suspicion, and she's quiet again after that.

"I can't believe you have children!" Robin exclaims. "It was only yesterday that we saw you for the first time." Lucina smiles at this, but can't respond. She doesn't know what to say.

"We missed you all a lot," Ricken comments. "Chrom wondered at least once a week if you would be coming home any time soon."

"Ricken!" Chrom chastises, his face red with shame.

"So tell us," Robin says leaning forward and settling in a comfortable position. "How were your travels?"

And Lucina smiles, and divulges what happened in Nohr. She explains the war, and her story is interrupted multiple times by everyone else with their own anecdotes. And she smiles, and everyone else smiles, and for once, she has reason not to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more part to go! Thanks for sticking with this c:

**Author's Note:**

> oops this got long
> 
> what are y'all opinions on ophelia x soleil if theyre related (second cousins) because it's not that close and also i really like the pairing. but i might not bother with it if everyones eh about it. 
> 
> Four chapters long! This and then one for Inigo, one for Sev, and a joint one for Owain and Lucina c:


End file.
